"The heroine's transformation into someone who finds her own style and speaks her own mind is worthy of applause." - Publishers Weekly

Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex. "The heroine's transformation into someone who finds her own style and speaks her own mind is worthy of applause." - Publishers Weekly

Fifteen-year-old Virginia Shreves has a larger-than-average body and a plus-size inferiority complex. She lives on the Web, snarfs junk food, and follows the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct." Her stuttering best friend has just moved to Walla Walla (of all places). Her new companion, Froggy Welsh the Fourth (real name), has just succeeded in getting his hand up her shirt, and she lives in fear that he’ll look underneath. Then there are the other Shreves: Mom, the successful psychologist and exercise fiend; Dad, a top executive who ogles thin women on TV; and older siblings Anaïs and rugby god Byron, both of them slim and brilliant. Delete Virginia, and the Shreves would be a picture-perfect family. Or so she’s convinced. And then a shocking phone call changes everything.

With irreverent humor, insight, and surprising gravity, Carolyn Mackler creates an endearingly blunt heroine whose story will speak to every teen who struggles with family expectations - and serve as a welcome reminder that the most impressive achievement is to be true to yourself. ...Continua Nascondi

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” ”I think it means that everything’s connected. Or maybe that no single incident stands by itself.” It rings so true with me. The theme of the book ba

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” ”I think it means that everything’s connected. Or maybe that no single incident stands by itself.” It rings so true with me. The theme of the book basically goes like this: Some of us have made ourselves amenable for much of our life, trying so hard to become someone who we are not. Then, at some point in our life, an unexpected turn of event completely catches us off-guard, turning our world we once know upside-down and bringing us new aspect of life. Leaving the once-familiar path, we struggle to find the way to ourselves even it’s a slippery slope and it often means pain with capital P. Then in hindsight, we connect the dots and realize that it has been a big-time wake-up call all right.
However, with or without a life-changing event, you just grow to realize who you are and what you want, and then you find out that people you have known forever are not on the same page as you are. So you find ways to live with the discrepancy and move on. I genuinely enjoy the book and relate to the main character, Virginia Shreves, very well, despite my advanced age. I can't agree more with the doctor's saying that the weight issue is about feeling good about yourself. This is truly an excellent book and I would recommend to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider.

I really liked this book. I try to read as much young adult fiction as I can so I can relate to what my students are reading. Much of what I read is too juvenile to hold my interest. What I want to read is to racy for young adult. This book fille

I really liked this book. I try to read as much young adult fiction as I can so I can relate to what my students are reading. Much of what I read is too juvenile to hold my interest. What I want to read is to racy for young adult. This book filled the niche. I have a 10 year old daughter who will get to read this book in a couple of years. I want her to see that Virginia Shreves is great as the heroine of her own life and she is most definitely not perfect. Sweet, sweet read.

It is now 3:30am (I started the book today as well, I guess yesterday) I just finished.There are so many great things about this book. I now understand why it is a Printz Honor Book.I was a little disappointed that it didn't get into eating disorders

It is now 3:30am (I started the book today as well, I guess yesterday) I just finished.There are so many great things about this book. I now understand why it is a Printz Honor Book.I was a little disappointed that it didn't get into eating disorders a little more, however, it was a very inspiring portrayal of a girl's response to body image issues. I wonder what else Caroly Mackler has written.Questions for Book Club:1. Do you think Virginia's family is having a healty impact on her? Why or why not?2. Can you relate to Virginia's situation? If so in what ways?3. How are Brie and Virginia a like?4. Have you rebeled against your family? friends? anyone? as Virginia does. How did you feel afterwards?5. Virginia feels as if she doesn't fit with her family? Have you ever felt this way? Describe.6. Overall, how did this book make you feel?